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207.200.116.71
...this Matt Damon thriller is certain to be politically polarizing.
It takes place early in the Iraq War where soldiers are following maps looking for WMDs but coming up with nothing.
Damon suspects something is fishy.
The plot is based on a true story, "Imperial Life in the Emerald City".
The hand held camera action gets a little heavy from time to time, particularly in the chase scenes toward the end but it is effective in creating a sense of urgency, anxiety and apprehension.
Damon is solid as usual and you get a good sense of Iraq streetlife post US bombing. The supporting cast is also very good and it was nice seeing Greg Kinear play against type.
Although films about the Iraq War have not done well with audiences, in the showing I attended, the theater was sold-out and at the end there was applause.
I'd give it a B.
WMDs WEREN'T there. Our intel did suck.
We disenfranchised all the B'aathists and a long, bloody insurgency ensued.
That's fact.
Where's the controversy?????
Wonder if he studio was waiting for things to improve in Iraq before releasing it? Or the perception that things were improving there.
J,B.
...it finished filming in Dec. 2008. Stylewise, I'd say it took a long time to edit, score, etc. With the time left, a March 2010 schedule probably looked about right. It didn't sit in a can for 2 years. I don't think there was any politically-motivated holding back.
I based my comment on this review and two others I've read all of which note the shelving of the film...perhaps you have information that disputes this?
I'm not suggesting "politically-motivated holding back", I'm suggesting financially motivated holding back.
J.B.
nt
Just saw it and really enjoyed it. Thought it showed the Iraqi "man in the street" concerns pretty well. Lots of confusion and tension--and then the quest for truth. If you want to see just how polarizing this film is, read some of the comments about it on IMDB. It's amazing what people read into things. I didn't think it was anti-American, I thought it was anti-bureaucratic myopia. Scary the public reaction sometimes.
I like Matt Damon but, I don't like movies that struggle with the critics. I will probably see it, after it hits the DVD scene.
It's flawed, certainly, but interesting nonetheless, far more interesting than most of what's playing at the cineplex. RT has critics who are basically movie fans with a website - how seriously can ya take their opinion? Actually read a couple reviews from some writers with sense, like Ken Turran or A. O. Scott or Stephanie Zacharek. Don't just glance at the Tomatometer.
Excellent performances all around. If you liked the Bourne flicks and Bloody Sunday this is worth seeing in the ceneplex.
It's necessarily somwhat simplified from the non-fiction book it's based on because it's a 2 hour movie, not a 6 part documentary. Some of the the bits in the last 20 minutes are a bit too...movie movie...for me. And the fact that there never were any WMD is hardly news.
But the point of the movie - it *matters* WHY we go to war - remains highly relevant. And GZ also raises excellent points about the disenfranchisement of the B'aathists.
And it's fun playing the game of recognizing which characters are based on which real life poeple.
How can this stuff be "controversial" at this late date????? Good grief...
(nt)
.
Share a bowl of grits with someone you love tonight.
(nt)
.
Share a bowl of grits with someone you love tonight.
...it's a pretty fair thriller. It's more like Bloody Sunday in Baghdad.
...but the movie, not so much.
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